KORAPUT: Lashing out at the State government, Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka on Monday warned of stopping bauxite mining at Kodingamali plateau if no industry is set up in the area.
The Congress leader issued the warning on the back of Odisha Mining Corporation’s move to enhance mining capacity at the reserve from 3 MTPA to 6 MTPA.
Ulaka alo asked Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) to cancel the public hearing to be conducted by Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) for Hindalco’s proposed refinery at Kongsariguda, scheduled to be held at Podapadi and Dharada villages in Rayagada on November 25 and Koraput on December 2. The hearing is meant to obtain forest and environment clearance for the project which envisages extracting bauxite from OMC’s mines in the area.
Accusing OMC of influencing the locals and taking their signatures for the public hearing, he said the company must provide adequate compensation to land losers as per existing rates. Residents of peripheral villages have been opposing the public hearing.
Various sections of people have united to protest against the move. The Kodingamali Surakhya Manch (KSM) has been demanding to set up industries in the locality to cater to jobs needs of locals.
The MP said there is huge resentment among locals against the proposed expansion of bauxite mine at the plateau. “The State government would be responsible for law and order situation in the area,” he said.Alleging that the Odisha government is selling bauxite extracted from Kodingamali to Vedanta Aluminium Ltd at `1,000 per tonne against `2,700 per tonne, the price fixed by Gujarat, Ulaka said the move is causing huge loss to the State exchequer.
In 2007, the Koraput district administration had acquired 1,200 acre land for setting up Hindalco’s proposed refinery at Kongsariguda. The administration had promised jobs to land losers within five years of the plant establishment. However, the company has not yet started the project and erected a boundary wall on the land acquired for the purpose.
KSM president Pradip Bagh said no public hearing was conducted by OSPCB for the ongoing bauxite mining at Kodingamali. He said OMC was illegally permitted to excavate 3 MTPA bauxite through Mythri Infra Ltd in 2017 to supply the raw material to Vedanta’s plant at Lanjigarh.
OMC regional manager Hemant Singh said OMC is an applicant for public hearing, that is being conducted by OSPCB and the district administrations concerned. “The public hearing is being conducted as per norms,” he said.